lery there on his extreme left, with the exception of one section of Ricketts' Pennsylvania Battery, and Dow's 6th Maine, which was posted on Barlow's right, on a line with Mott's reserve force. One section of Ricketts' battery was placed by Getty where the line of battle crossed the Orange plank road. About four o'clock Getty attacked the enemy in pursuance to orders received before Hancock's arrival. He had gone but a short distance up the Orange plank road when he struck the enemy well posted. Hancock, seeing that Getty had met the enemy in heavy force, ordered Birney in to assist him, which, advancing, he did; Birney's own division on Getty's right with Mott's division on Getty's left. The battle raged with such severity that Carroll's and Owen's brigades, of Gibbon's division, were detached to go to the right of Getty to assist at that point. In the action two of Barlow's brigades, the Irish and Colonel Brooke's, became involved with the enemy and drove the right of his line some distance. The section of Ricketts' battery which had accompanied Getty and Birney lost so many horses and men that the guns were captured, but were retaken, under the direction of Captain Butterfield, of Carroll's staff, by detachments from the 14th Indiana and 8th Ohio, of Carroll's brigade. The action closed about eight o'clock without any material advantage to either side. That afternoon the Army of the Potomac lost one of its most gallant officers, who had been a classmate at West Point with General Grant. When Grant learned that General Hays had been killed he was deeply affected. Although it was so far a drawn battle, the Union forces were in condition to drive Hill from the field and win a victory had they had a little more daylight or a Joshua commanding the sun to stand still.

In order to crush Hill before Anderson and Longstreet arrived, Grant and Meade decided to throw Wadsworth, with Baxter's brigade, on Hill's left and rear; but it was late in the afternoon, and these very troops had already had a severe

engagement. When Wadsworth received orders to report to Hancock, who was then hotly engaged with the enemy at the intersection of the Brock road and Orange plank road, he at once obeyed. He was then near the Lacy House, facing west. Changing the direction of his division to face south he deployed in line of battle, preceded by a strong line of skirmishers, and moved to the support of the Second Corps, guided by the musket-firing of the engagement there being hotly contested. The troops were soon in the wilderness of second growth pine, marching in the direction of the left rear of the Confederate troops engaged with the Second Corps, and opposed by a strong line of pickets, with strong reserves, protecting the Confederate flank. The skirmish firing gave the Confederates warning of the approach of troops on the rear and flank, probably not unexpected from General Warren's position. It being after dark, firing in Hancock's front ceased, and the Confederate line withdrew to relieve the flank from Wadsworth's threatened attack. General Wadsworth halted when the darkness was so great that no alignment could be kept up. Firing having ceased, save an occasional shot, that general was unable to judge of the distance intervening between his troops and the Second Corps, while the Confederate pickets were close in his front. The thick branches of the pines kept out the starlight, and the night was one of darkness in its fullest sense.

Wadsworth had not, owing to obstructions and the density of the forest, connected with Hancock or struck the Confederate left when he halted. The regiments rested on their arms in line of battle. The regimental commanders were called upon to report the number of cartridges in possession of the men. At eleven p. m. the reports showed that nearly all the cartridges had been expended in the engagement during the day. General Wadsworth's orders were to proceed quietly. The conflict with the Confederate pickets, and Col. Roy Stone's enthusiasm, made it a howling wilderness. Captain Monteith, aid-de-camp, was sent back to report to General Warren the situation, and bring

some ammunition. The captain received orders from General Warren to move forward and attack at a specified time, five a. m., being the earliest dawn. Monteith then proceeded to the supply train, where Sergt. J. A. Watrous packed ten mules, that had never before been "cinched," each carrying 2,000 cartridges. He started to return by two a. m., and reached the line of troops, after much trouble and twisting around trees, a few minutes before the time to open the morning service in behalf of the United States Government. The troops had had no supper, save dry hard tack, and no time to prepare breakfast, but were regaled with cartridges. At five a. m. Wadsworth ordered the advance, and soon was in front of the Second Corps, which was advancing to attack. Hancock withdrew to the left of the Orange plank road; General Wadsworth made a half wheel to the right, his left resting on the plank road, making a prolongation of the Second Corps line, with his right exposed in the Wilder

ness.

Owing to the density of the woods, small pine trees, and low long limbs, mounted officers had much trouble at times in the saddle. General Wadsworth reined to the road, and rode with the line of battle. The Confederate line of battle was soon reached, when it stubbornly resisted the advance, but yielded ground. The general's horse was shot. while riding near the road; mounting the second horse, he rode into the line of troops engaged, when that horse, too, was killed. He then mounted the third one. Information came to him that the enemy was massing and extending his lines on his (Wadsworth's) right. He asked Hancock for a brigade, which was promptly sent from the Ninth Corps, which he placed in support of the troops near his left, believing the commotion on the right to be an attempt to call attention that way, and then assault on the Orange plank road. Now there was a lull in the battle which had shivered the Wilderness into splinters. Men had advanced where pine trees could not stand, and for a brief space of time a silence, ominous and portending, prevailed. The thick

smoke that lurked near the ground, raised and hung heavily overhead.

The general had eaten neither supper nor breakfast, but opportunely at this lull his cook came with some coffee and hardtack. His aids joined him, for they, too, had had thirty hours of hard work and compulsory fasting. A commotion and a yell at the front announced the fact that Longstreet had arrived, and his men were forming line of battle on Hill's right. The Union line again advanced. Soon a messenger came from Hancock with the information that his (Hancock's) left was yielding, and for Wadsworth to be watchful, and to govern himself according to circumstances along his front and on his left. Across the plank road the Second Corps was seen to be yielding, the Confederate line passing, and exposing General Wadsworth's left flank. Directly in front, and only a few yards distant, was an Alabama brigade lying on the ground. The general wheeled a regiment, near the plank road to the left to fire into the Confederate flank, which was pursuing the Second Corps back, when suddenly the Alabama brigade arose with a yell and a volley, causing disorder in the Union lines, which retired to the Brock road.

General Wadsworth sat on his horse in the line of battle, attended by E. M. Rogers and E. S. Osborne, aids on his staff, when the Alabamians fired their volley only a few yards distant. The general seemed to be unmindful of the perilous position, and, for an instant, held his horse reined to the front. His troops were routed, and he faced the Confederate line, his aids with him. Wadsworth was prancing to the rear when a ball went crashing through his head, the blood spattering on Lieutenant Rogers' coat, which still stains his uniform. The general fell from his horse to the ground upon his back. Lieutenant Rogers'

horse was shot by the same volley. Seeing the general lying with his face upward and mortally wounded, Lieutenant Rogers attempted to take the general's watch and other valuables from his pockets, but as the Confederate